1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and, particularly, to an image processing apparatus capable of producing an image removed an obstacle positioned in front of a subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
When photography is performed of various scenes, if an obstacle is present between an imaging device and a main subject, the main subject is hidden behind the obstacle, and a desired image cannot be obtained in some cases.
Conversely, when the obstacle is a person, a vehicle or the like, a method is proposed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-43458, in which a background image is extracted from the motion parallax, thereby removing the obstacle. In the method disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2001-43458, a plurality of images taken at different times are compared with one another for each pixel, and pixels in which no change is detected for a predetermined period of time are extracted as the background image. Such processing is performed for all the pixels in the area under surveillance, whereby an image having a mere background from which the obstacle is removed is formed.